Health is Life!

Health Benefits of Moringa

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 20:14:00 +0000

The health benefits of moringa include relief from stomach disorders, allergies and edema. The antioxidant power of moringa aids in liver protection, diabetes, eye protection, cardiovascular health, bone health, uroliathiasis, wound healing, healthy hair and skin. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of moringa help to fight various infections, including herpes.

Moringa is rich in phytonutrients, which are effective for preventing various medical conditions such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, bronchial asthma, sickle cell disease, nephrotoxicity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, anemia, and obesity, as well as helping to build a strong immune system.

Moringa – The “Miracle Tree”

Moringa oleifera, also known as drumstick tree, is a highly valued and versatile plant which belongs to the Moringaceae family. Moringa is a fast growing, deciduous tree that is native to India and is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas all over Asia, Africa and South America. It is widely known with many other names, including Horseradish tree and Ben oil tree.

Although modern science has only recently discovered its value, moringa has been imparting a multitude of benefits across various cultures since ancient times. Moringa was valued by the Romans, Egyptians and Greeks for its medicinal impact on a range of ailments. Today, usage of moringa has been encouraged by various humanitarian organizations to combat malnutrition and its effects in poverty-stricken regions, mainly due to its economic viability and rapid growth.

The moringa tree has thick, whitish bark with droopy, fragile branches and long, green, oval-shaped leaflets. In Ayurvedic therapy, moringa is valued for its impressive range of therapeutic uses, commonly attributed to its antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant and anti-inflammatory properties. In some areas, it is simply known as ‘shigru’.

Nutritional Value of Moringa
Moringa leaves and moringa pods are a nutritional powerhouse and provide a great range and amount of essential proteins, vitamins and minerals. Moringa is a rich source of essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. It also contains a significant amount of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B-6, folate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The mineral wealth of moringa includes calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and zinc. It contains very low amount of fats and offers no harmful cholesterol.

Health Benefits of Moringa

Moringa contains an immense wealth of healthy components and phytonutrients. Due to its extraordinary and unmatched range of medicinal benefits, moringa was named the “miracle tree” during the food crisis in Africa. In the Philippines, moringa is revered as mother’s best friend because of its galactogogic properties. The benefits of moringa for medical conditions include the following:

MoringaAntioxidants: Moringa plant offers a rich blend of powerful antioxidants such as kaempferol, caffeoylquinic acid, zeatin, quercetin, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and beta-sitosterol. These powerful antioxidants found in moringa possess high free radical scavenging capacity and have shown its therapeutic value in curing the damage caused by oxidative stress.

Edema: Moringa extracts are beneficial in the treatment of edema. Research studies have confirmed that treatment with moringa oleifera root extract, which possesess anti-inflammatory qualities, has been significantly effective in inhibiting the development of edema. Moreover, the studies suggest that the efficacy of moringa herb stands equal with the potent anti-inflammatory medicine indomethacin in the treatment of such painful conditions.

Liver Protection: Moringa extracts exert a hepatoprotective effect on the liver. Research studies have validated the effectiveness of moringa leaves against the liver damage caused by anti-tubercular drugs as well as its stimulating effects in speeding up the recovery process. Moringa helps to restore the levels of glutathione content in the body and prevents radiation-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation. This protective effect is attributed to the presence of phytochemicals such as catechin, epicatechin, ferulic acid and vitamin C found in moringa.

Stomach Disorders: The isothiocyanates present in moringa are effective in the treatment of abdominal disorders such as constipation, gastritis and ulcerative colitis. Studies have shown that moringa extracts can be considered as an effective herbal alternative to a range of commercially available antacids and antihistamines. Research studies have shown that treatment with moringa oleifera leads to reduced ulceration and its efficacy in curing ulcerative colitis is comparable with the commercially available drug prednisolone.

Moringa contains antibiotic and antibacterial properties, and it exerts inhibitory effects on the growth of various pathogens. This includes helicobacter pylori bacteria and coliform bacteria, which can trigger conditions like diarrhea.

Healthy Skin: Moringa seed oil is beneficial for the skin. The hydrating and detoxifying effects of moringa extracts help in neutralizing the effects of harmful pollutants, prevents wrinkles, and slows premature aging. The high protein content of moringa aids in protecting the dermal cells from damage caused by heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. For the same reason, it is used in the production of cosmetics and skin care products.

Diabetes: Moringa extracts exert antidiabetic effects in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Research studies have demonstrated that treatment with moringa works positively towards the reduction of blood glucose, urine sugar and urine proteins in diabetic test subjects. According to the studies, moringa has also shown marked improvement in hemoglobin levels and total protein content of the diabetic subjects.

Antibacterial Properties: Moringa possesses antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and is effective against the growth of disease-causing microbes. Scientific research has proven that moringa extracts exert a wide spectrum of protective activity against food-borne microorganisms such as Salmonella, Rhizopus species, E. Coli, Enterobacter aerogenus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. This defensive activity makes moringa extracts perfect for sanitation and preservation purposes.

Cancer: Moringa is an anticancer agent and is highly valued in tumor therapy. Scientific research has demonstrated that moringa extracts possess chemopreventive properties attributed to the presence of the phenolic components quercetin and kaempferol. Another study has demonstrated the role of the bioactive compound niazimicin in restraining the development of cancer cells. Moringa extracts impart chemomodulatory effects towards curing various types of cancers such as ovarian cancer, hepatic carcinogenesis and skin papillomagenesis by inhibiting the proliferation of malignant cancer cells and inducing apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death.

Neurodegenerative Diseases: The effectiveness of moringa has been very valuable in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Research studies have shown that treatment with moringa extracts have the potential to alter brain monoamines like norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine, and it even extends its protection against monoaminergic deficiencies related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Bone Health: Moringa extracts are beneficial for maintaining healthy bones, which is attributed to the presence of essential minerals like calcium and phosphorous. Moringa extracts possess anti-inflammatory properties and are effective in the treatment of painful conditions such as arthritis, while also helping to heal various bone ailments such as mandibular or jaw bone fracture.

Immunosuppressive Effects: The seeds of moringa oleifera possess immunosuppressive properties. Deliberate immunosuppression is required to inhibit the activation of body’s immune system in order to prevent the rejection of certain treatments, particularly organ transplants and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Research studies have demonstrated that the immunosuppressive action of moringa seeds helps in ameliorating the production of antibodies to allow for the new organs and transplanted material to settle safely in the body.

Herpes: TheMoringa herb is effective against the infection caused by herpes simplex virus. The healing effects of moringa herb prevent the development of skin lesions and inhibit the formation of plaque caused by the infecting virus.

Cardiovascular Protection: Moringa extracts are helpful in the prevention of myocardial or cardiac damage, due to the presence of powerful antioxidants. Research studies conducted on this subject have provided supporting evidence that proves the antiperoxidative and cardio-protective effects of moringa therapy. Treatment with Moringa helps in inhibiting the increase in lipid perioxidation in the myocardial tissue and aids in maintaining a healthy heart.

Anti-allergenic Behavior: Extracts of moringa seeds possess anti-allergenic qualities. Scientific research has validated the inhibitory action of moringa on the hypersensitive reactions involved in various allergic diseases, including allergic rhinitis and anaphylaxis.

Asthma: The benefits of moringa plant extracts also include relief from bronchial asthma and inflammation caused in the airways. According to research, treatment with moringa helps to reduce the severity of asthmatic attacks and various symptoms such as wheezing, cough, dyspnea and tightness of the chest. Moringa extends its protective effects against bronchial constrictions and encourages better lung function and respiration.

Anti-fungal Properties: Leaves of moringa oleifera possess anti-fungal qualities. The inhibitory effects of moringa help in preventing the growth of diseases causing contaminant fungi such as Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp.

Hair Care: The favorable effects of moringa seed oil for healthy hair have been appreciated since ancient times. It is highly effectual in cleansing and purifying the hair and protects it from environmental damage, including ultra violet radiation. It serves as a valuable conditioner for the scalp, strengthens the roots, and stimulates hair growth.

Urolithiasis: Moringa extracts are effective against the formation of stones in the kidney, bladder and uterus. According to research studies, the administration of moringa root exerted anti-urolithiatic activity and resulted in a noteworthy reduction in the urinary oxalate levels. The curative effect of moringa has also shown a reduction in the formation of stone deposits and aids in regulating endogenous oxalate synthesis.

Wound Healing: Aqueous leaves extract of moringa oleifera possess significant wound healing properties. Research studies have provided supporting evidence regarding the healing effects of moringa in the treatment of wounds with respect to skin-breaking strength, wound closure rate and reduction in the scar area.

Hypertension: Moringa is effective in maintaining optimal levels of blood pressure in the body. Bioactive components such as isothiocyanate and niaziminin that are present in moringa prevent the thickening of arteries and reduce the development of pulmonary hypertension.

Sickle Cell Disease: Moringa oleifera is effective in the treatment of sickle cell disease. Recent studies have validated the anti-sickling potential of moringa plant extracts, which is attributed to the presence of zinc and flavonols such as kaempferol, quercitin, and acacetin as well as phenolic acids such as melilotic acid and vanillic acid.

Eye Health: Antioxidant-rich moringa oleifera is beneficial for providing protection against retinal damage. Scientific studies have provided supporting evidence regarding the retinoprotective effects of moringa in test subjects. Treatment with moringa helps in preventing the dilatation of retinal vessels and keeps the retinal vasculature intact. It also inhibits the thickening of capillary membranes and prevents any retinal dysfunction.

Immune Stimulator: The ethanolic extracts of moringa leaf helps in stimulating the immune system of the body. It also helps in enhancing the cellular immune response and exerts positive effects on various other immune system values such as total leucocyte count, antibodies and hypersensitivity reaction.

Nephrotoxicity: Moringa extracts exert a protective effect against nephrotoxicity, which refers to the kidney problems caused as a consequence of exposure to certain drugs or toxins. Studies have revealed that the nephroprotective effect of moringa helps in attenuating renal injuries due to its high antioxidant content. It serves as an effective bio-absorbent and helps in the removal of heavy metals and harmful toxins.

Cholesterol: Moringa extracts serve as an effective remedy for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels in the body. Studies have confirmed the hypocholesterolemic effects of moringa, which helps in reducing high-fat diet-induced rise the liver, kidney and serum cholesterol levels.

Anemia: Moringa extracts are beneficial in the treatment of anemia. Studies have provided supporting evidence regarding the fact that treatment with moringa oleifera aids in facilitating the absorption of iron, increasing the red blood cell count and helping to maintaining normal blood parameters.

Abortifacient: Moringa oleifera possesses anti-fertility qualities. Aqueous extracts of moringa exert estrogenic activity and are beneficial in the prevention of sexual implantation in the body.

Obesity: Moringa helps in combating obesity thanks to its highly nutritional and low-fat qualities. The impressive content of vitamin B in moringa leaves aids in digestion and converts the food into energy rather than storing it as fat.

Culinary Use: Moringa is a “miracle tree” and most of its parts, including the leaves, bark, fruits and roots are used as food items. Leaves of the moringa tree can be added to salads and are also used in the preparation of sauces and soups. Cold pressed moringa oil is used for cooking and is appreciated for its long shelf life. The immature seed pods of the moringa tree, popularly known as drumsticks in India, are used in various dishes.

Moringa leaves are a great alternative to meat, because of the high protein content, especially for vegetarians. Moringa contains the amino acids aregenine and histidine which are essential for infants and it is also a boon to combat malnutrition in the under-privileged regions of the world.

3 Serious Dangers of the Zika Virus

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 08:08:00 +0000

The Zika virus, which is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, has infected thousands in the Americas and the Caribbean, and has now been confirmed in a handful of Americans.

Here are 3 crucial facts you should know about the virus, which health officials worldwide are scrambling to control:

1. Zika may cause congenital malformations in children

Despite the fact that this mosquito-borne illness is very similar to yellow fever, West Nile virus and chikungunya, this is the first time that we have seen what appears to be a direct link to a major congenital malformation like microcephaly from this family of viruses.

While we know that viruses can affect pregnancy, most of our experiences with infections are with viruses like West Nile, which theoretically could lead to early miscarriages. Never before have we seen a variant of this type from this viral family create a major anatomical deformity with a predisposition to affect a baby’s brain. Now, in addition to requiring additional fetal development in the womb, once the child is born with microcephaly they will require lifelong monitoring and care. There is no cure, there is no treatment, and these children will suffer severe developmental and cognitive delays.

In Brazil alone, officials are reporting nearly 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly since October. Comparatively, in the United States it’s estimated that microcephaly ranges from two to 12 babies per 10,000 live births.

2. The virus doesn’t pose a threat to just pregnant women

In addition to presenting a danger to pregnant women, we now have a cluster of cases in which the virus may be attacking the adult neurological system and causing inflammation of nerve roots in the spine. The result is a condition called Guillain-Barre, a nerve disorder that causes muscle weakness beginning in the legs that then spreads to the arms and face. It can cause patients to feel numb, have trouble walking, and experience limb paralysis. In severe cases, patients may require life support. While it can take a few weeks to recover, patients typically suffer from nerve damage.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said authorities in El Salvador reported 46 cases of Guillain-Barre in just five weeks, from Dec. 1 to Jan. 6. The exact cause of this autoimmune system is unknown, but several patients who presented these symptoms also had those similar to patients of Zika. That alone should be enough to serve as a warning to others that we all need to be vigilant in protecting ourselves from mosquitos, not just expectant mothers. We should consider the travel warnings seriously, and take proper steps with insect repellent and covering exposed areas of skin.

3. Zika is spreading fast— and it will likely reach the South soon

It seems like every hour there is an update from a Zika-afflicted country reporting an uptick in the number of confirmed cases. In Colombia, officials are predicting that they will experience 600,000 cases. The virus is spreading too fast, too soon. With 22 countries and a handful of territories on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) travel warning list, and our propensity as Americans to travel, it is only a matter of time before it hits our southern states.

If a patient becomes infected by the Zika virus while visiting an afflicted region, the patient can become a focal point for another Aedes aegypti mosquito to contract the virus. If you catch the virus outside of the U.S., and you come back home and are bitten by an another Aedes aegypti, that mosquito can then infect others, but you cannot.

It is imperative that we remain proactive and remember during this crucial time that we do not have any treatment or vaccines for Zika. The best things individuals can do to prevent Zika infection is wear protective clothing and mosquito repellent if traveling to a region afflicted by Zika, and to contact your physician immediately if you experience symptoms. If you are a pregnant woman planning a trip outside of the U.S., check the CDC’s travel-warning list so you can keep yourself— and your child— safe.

By Dr. Manny Alvarez

Published January 27, 2016 FoxNews.com

5 reasons you should avoid Canned food

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

1. Bisphenol or BPA
The most worrisome of all, among canned foods that can harm you, is plastic contaminants in our canned goods. Most canned food these days have a plastic coating inside the can to supposedly keep the food, vegetables, and fruits – fresh. Well, it may keep them more fresh that otherwise without it being stored up inside a metal object, but this comes at the expense of harming you. The inner plastic lining is poisonous at small measures, although FDA tells us that the small amounts should not worry us too much. Well this plastic coating is Bisphenol or BPA for short and it is harmful, first because humans are not suppose to eat plastic material made from crude oil and second because FDA should be honest and tell people the truth rather than serve the interests of big corporations that give it large sums of money through back channel donations and hidden funds through partner organizations.

Alzheimers-Aluminum-cans BPA kills rats in laboratories even at smaller portions, like 1,000 times less than what an average American consumes per meal. I hope soon FDA would do a U-turn on this and come clean and tell people about the harm to humans caused by BPA like they do periodically about drugs which they have claimed for decades to be safe, only to tell us now that they were not safe. I just hope it does not take decades before they try to protect the public against BPA. BPA is a toxic chemical that causes hormone imbalances and wide variety of health issues ranging from hypertension, aggression, obesity to cancer and heart disease. Based on FDA 17% of the American diet comes from canned foods yet there are no regulation or safety standards regarding the amount of BPA in canned foods. A study by Environmental Working Group shows that more than 50% of cans with brand names have toxic BPA in them.2

2. Imported Canned Food

Imported Canned Food is even worse than American Canned Food. In many countries where canned food is cheaper than Europe, Canada and USA, American food corporations are more and more importing to make higher profits, the canned food is even less nutritious than their counterparts in Europe and North America. First the foods are picked when they are not ripe and have 80% less nutrients than a fully ripe fruits and vegetables. Second, the facilities are not as hygienic and inspected on a regular basis as their counterparts in Europe and North America and hence have the cause of a few incidences of outbreaks in the last 20 years, like the famous incident regarding canned green beans from Brazil or the salmonella outbreak from sprouts from Columbia. Less than 2% of canned foods are inspected by FDA or Home Land security or any other organization (e.g. EPA for environmental monitoring). So I would avoid canned food if at all possible. Instead I would recommend, at the least, try glass jars instead of cans for stored foods.

3. Leaking. Aluminium leaks

Just as Aluminium pots and pans leak, so do aluminium cans. In fact, what most people are unaware of is that most often foods are put into aluminium cans, then seals, and then cooked, supposedly retain the freshness. Well, it will certainly retain the aluminium free radicals hanging around after heating and contaminating the contents.

Over a period of time Aluminium accumulation in body can cause memory problem like Alzheimer’s. More than 5,000 million pounds of aluminium is used every year for making food cans. Aluminium cans have several advantages for the producer including light weight, compact packaging and lower price. Most canned foods like soups, vegetables, chicken or beef broth and tomato sauces are made of aluminium because it’s more economical.

Some believe that the plastic lining of the aluminium cans are supposed to prevent corrosion and contaminating food with aluminium. But the reality is that most of the time these plastic liners can’t completely protect food against aluminium since cans leak aluminium when heated and while they are sealed - they will contaminate food.

4. Preservatives

The lovely, no so friendly, preservatives. They are referred to in a dozen different names, and every few months, a new name is established for the same few ingredients that are mixed up to come up with friendly-sounding names. But, the fact is that if it smells like manure, looks like manure, tastes like manure – it is most certainly manure.

These preservatives are kept in state of non-compounding to other molecules with the, yes you guessed it, SALT. Extensive amount of sodium (salt) is used to keep the preservatives in canned food from rotting so that it can keep the food from rotting. Lovely. FDA responds to all this by simply issued a statement, “… there has been no proof that these preservatives would cause major damage to human cells or that they are harmful to mass public”. My interpretation of this is this, “… these preservatives are not drastically harmful towards healthy people, but they may be harmful to pregnant women, babies, children, elderly, or anyone that is suffering from a chronic disease”. That’s just my interpretation.

5. Low level food quality

Let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that if the fruits and vegetables and other ingredients are of high quality, they will be sold fresh and for the highest price possible for a maximum of profit by the distributors.

Now if the quality of the ingredients are not that great or the fruits and vegetables look old and stale or not so healthy, then they will be hidden from the eyes of supermarket shoppers and be forced into a can along with other such low quality food, cooked up in a mass oven while still inside the can and then shipped all over the world and sold may be one or two years later from when they were picked and were prepared. Don’t expect the ingredients inside your canned foods to be of high quality. If you do, then you could buy the London Bridge and thinking that it is the Tower of London Bridge – and the two cannot be more different than one another.

Solution
Completely eliminate canned foods and if you are looking for your favorite tomato sauce use the ones in glass jars. Don’t consume vegetables or grains in cans, simply buy fresh ones. The risk of developing many chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, nervous system disorder and Alzheimer’s goes down by consuming fresh foods that do not have any packaging.

Get Your Health On A New High

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Overall fitness is a highly discussed issue that many talk about but few are willing to hit at the bull’s eye The factors that influence the general health of a person include age or DNA; however you can improve your well-being by upholding an improved lifestyle that involves retaining a proper weight, sidestepping booze with tobacco, eating well and consistent exercise.

By simply doing the right things, you can considerably lessen your chances of contracting cancer, heart illnesses and other chronic conditions. The most vital constituents of healthy living include: nourishing meals, exercise, and a pleasant social life, optimistic attitude towards daily living, sufficient rest and strong relationship ties. Below are some essential tips to better health.

i. Eat Fiber rich meals

One of the major constituents of a good diet is a fiber rich food. So the first step is to remove all the harmful carbohydrates from your diet and swap them with the good ones. You must also incorporate an array of fruits plus vegetables at all meal times with whole grains as well as other foods with high fiber content. Highly Glycemic foods like snickers bar among others should equally be done away with.

ii. Drink lots of Water

For those used to consuming different kinds of drinks, they are advised to start taking water instead. Water aids digestion, detoxifies the system and absorbs nutrients while other nutritional values of other drinks are at best minimal. Eight glasses daily is enough to keep you going and healthy.

iii. Engage in adequate physical activities.

An inactive body magnetizes diseases while diseases aren't comfortable in a dynamic bodies. To make your body active you can work out with weights and jog or run as these do not subject the body to undue stress and they are very good to the body as running increases the heart beats as you burn calories.

iv. Sustain your Ideal Weight.

A perfect weight is also vital, but it you mustn’t go on a regime to maintain one as most fads does the body more harm than good hence they aren't totally advisable. A healthy diet with an active lifestyle is enough to keep your weight in check.

v. Be Optimistic and Positive all the Time

Nothing kills morale faster than pessimism and you can’t have improved health if your moods are always low. Optimism is only force that can compel you to keep changing and improving on yourself and only to maintain a healthy lifestyle is via self discipline. As you will have no one to blame for your attitude so think and act rightly. All your efforts will yield good fruits if you avoid drinking, smoking and others habits that will counter your efforts at attaining improved health.These best practices to a better health for every one irrespective of their age or gene will improve the outcomes for any who dare to go the whole hog!

Olufemi

20 Tasty Diabetic-Friendly Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:39:00 +0000

1. Applesauce Pancakes

Trading butter for applesauce is a healthy way to cut out excess fat and still enjoy the sweetness of pancakes.

2. Honey Grapefruit with Banana

This fruity dish is a perfect breakfast or dessert plate. Grapefruit ranks low on the glycemic index, and the dish uses mint, a "free food" to add flavor.

3. Blueberry Muffins

This dessert uses equal parts sugar and calorie-free sweetener, which is a great option for diabetic recipes. Artificial sweeteners allow for some wiggle room in the sweets department and add fewer carbohydrates to the dish.

4. Veggie Sausage-Cheddar Frittata

A serving of this dish contains only 10 carbohydrates. Simple substitutes like veggie sausage, reduced-fat cheese, and egg whites also cut back on unhealthy saturated fat.

5. Barley and Black Bean Salad

A serving of this salad is perfect for lunch. It's high in carbohydrates, but packs in 12 grams of fiber and is low in cholesterol.

6. Veggie Tostadas

Use this Basic Tostada recipe and then layer on extra fiber-rich veggies. The American Diabetes Association recommends subtracting half the number of fiber grams from the total grams of carbohydrates (but only for meals with at least 5 grams of fiber). This gives a better estimate of your food's carb count.

7. Fresh Berries With Maple Cream

Indulge in dessert with this sweet, guilt-free fruit dish. It's low in calories and a great way to get your intake of antioxidants.

8. Cookies 'n' Cream Crunch

This dessert uses no-sugar-added ice cream to cut down on carbs. It calls for pecans, but you can substitute almonds instead if you want a boost of monounsaturated fat.

9. Cantaloupe Sherbet

Homemade treats are the best way to maximize taste and keep an eye on the carb count. Combining cantaloupe and fat-free yogurt makes a creamy sherbet.

10. Chili-Fried Potatoes

Finally, the diabetic's answer to chili cheese fries. Olive oil is a healthy way to fake the fried food flavor. Using chili powder, onions, and a pinch of low-fat cheese creates a rich, zesty taste without fat or carbs.

11. Deep-Dish Taco Pizza

Ground round is a lean cut of mean, but you can also substitute lean ground turkey to trim excess saturated fat. Though this dish contains lycopene-rich tomatoes, add onions for a boost of vitamin C.

12. Potato Cakes

This dish is perfect for a quick, easy, and lower in carbs than most potato recipes. Serve it as side dish or use it as a base to layer sautéed veggies and lean meat on top. For a boost of fiber and vitamin A, try using sweet potatoes.

13. Snapper with Tomato-Caper Topping

Fish is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It also is very low in carbohydrates. A light, tangy topping like this one is a perfect complement—it's low-cal and rich in vitamin C.

14. Basil Scallops with Spinach Fettuccine

Spinach pasta is a great way to add flavor to the dish. The trick to eating pasta is portion control. If you're trying to cut down on carbs, cut the serving size of pasta to 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup.

15. Beef Kebabs

Serve this crowd-pleaser without the guilt of consuming too many carbs. The beef tenderloin is both lean and savory, and the veggies provide a little bit of fiber and vitamins A and C.

16. Apple Slaw

Try this healthy version of coleslaw for a sweet and crunchy side. At only 2 grams of fat and 10 grams of carbs per serving, it's the perfect complement to any barbecue dish.

17. Cumin Quick Bread

There's no need to skip out on bread, even with diabetes. This savory loaf calls for a calorie-free sweetener, fat-free milk, and egg substitute to cut calories while keeping the flavor.

18. Seared Chicken with Avocado

Enjoy this mouthwatering chicken dish guilt-free, with only 5 grams of carbs per serving. Avocados are a great source of unsaturated fats and vitamin E. They also add a creamy textures and rich taste to any dish.

19. Three-Pepper Pizza

Pizza gets a bad rap, but when topped with veggies like bell peppers, it's a great source of calcium and vitamin C. Try using a whole-wheat crust for an extra boost of fiber.

20. Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly-Sandwich Cookies

Turn an everyday sandwich into a guilt-free dessert treat. No-sugar-added peanut butter is a great option for diabetic recipes, but a lot of natural peanut butters are also low in sugar. Serve with a glass of fat-free milk for a boost of protein.

This article is culled from Health.com for information of my blog visitors. For more information about making money and health matters check my site Easy ways of online money making.

Weight Loss| Fattening Foods to Avoid

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Weight gain has been seen as one of the most common threat to human healthy living and a lot of efforts are needed to loose the gained weight. Almost over-sized people gather such weight as a result of bad eating habits.

Highlighted below are foods to avoid, and the healthier options you can choose instead:

1. High-Fat Meats on the Barbeque: Instead of cheeseburgers and pork or beef ribs, stick to lean cuts such as pork tenderloin, skinless chicken breast, and lean ground beef;

2. Ball Game Delights: You might think it's the calories that make these options - hot dogs, sausages, and bratwursts - better left untouched, but it's the sodium. With oftentimes well over 1000 grams of sodium, choose to enjoy the ball game with something more nutritious;

3. Mayonnaise-based Salads: Your potato/pasta salads and coleslaw can be just as good with light mayonnaise or "German-style" with more vinegar than oil. Substituting healthier ingredients will let you enjoy these options, guilt-free;

4. Skip the Umbrella Drinks: Sipping on a frozen concoction can pile on the calories. Instead, try a fruit juice and seltzer based mixed drink, wine, or a wine spritzer as a healthier option;

5. Skip the Sweetened Drinks: Sweet tea, soda, and energy drinks might seem like great thirst quenching options, but they are laden with calories that add up in a hurry. Choose water instead, or, if you must, choose light options;

6. Frozen Treats: We all know that huge fudge sundaes are a no-no (as tasty as they may be), but to eat well you don't need to give up all frozen treats. Instead, snack on sherbets, fudge bars, and fruit bars to quench your cravings and cool off from the sun;

7. Fair Food: Generally "eat-while-you-walk" foods aren't good for you. If you want to partake, choose cotton candy or a caramel apple and be sure to SHARE;

8. Salad Toppers: Not just a problem, but a nutritional salad can be turned fattening by adding dressings and high-calorie toppings. Choose light dressings and veggies as your salad toppers;

9. Mindless Munching: Eat in moderation - a handful won't hurt, but make sure you stop there! Even better: much on veggies and dip or fat-free popcorn; and

10. Fried Chicken: If it's deep friend, it's just not good for you. Choose a boneless, skinless chicken breast, add some seasoning, and I bet you'll forget all about the bucket of chicken you were thinking about buying.

Article culled from Ezinearticles.com and is authored by Kelli Arruzzo.

The Best Healthy Weight Loss Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:03:00 +0000

By Rudy Wang

Losing weight can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be. Just by following simple healthy weight loss tips you can lose weight and keep it off. You can lose weight without starving yourself or without doing anything else extreme. Start off by implementing these ten healthy weight loss tips into your daily routine and watch the pounds drop off.

Break Bad Habits
Replace foods such as white bread with whole wheat bread and canned veggies with fresh or frozen veggies. Buy foods that have lower amounts of sugar in them. Don't eat or snack while watching TV because there is a tendency to eat more than needed. Think of other bad habits that you can break.

Take a Multi-Vitamin
Taking a multi-vitamin is very important because it helps you to get the proper nutrients. When your body is lacking nutrients you will feel tired and lack energy. This also leads to sickness.

Do Not Eat Past 7 PM
This gives your body a chance to process food and burn fat. When you sleep your metabolism slows down so if you go to sleep after you eat your body will not burn off as many calories.

Get a Weight Loss Buddy
A weight loss buddy will keep you motivated to continue your weight loss plan even when times get tough. There are even online communities that you can tap into that will help you stay on track.

Exercise Self Control and Discipline
The most important weight loss tip is to have the right attitude towards losing weight. Losing weight does not happen overnight and it does not happen without effort. Make a commitment today to stick to your plan.

Eat Small Meals
It's really important to not allow yourself to get hungry. If you wait to eat when you are really hungry, you will end up over eating. The solution or *secret* is to eat healthy fruits, vegetables, proteins, and fiber through out the day.

Don't Skip Meals
This is similar to the first weight loss tip. If you are busy make sure to have on the go food like protein bars or low calorie snacks. You can through your body off track if you skip meals. Make sure to do everything in your power to prepare so that you do not go too much longer than three hours between meals.

Get Active
The absolute best way to lose weight quickly is to get active. Try hard to fit in a cardio workout three to five times a week. If you do not have time to go to the gym, then put on a workout DVD, Fit TV, or make up your own routine. The point is to get your heart rate up for 15-20 minutes. This boost in your heart rate will help you burn more calories. You'll notice that you will lose weight quicker too.

Cut Out Sugar
Sugar is necessary for a healthy body; however, most people get way too much sugar. The sugars that should be consumed are in nutrient rich whole grains, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Table sugar and the sugar that is in candy and chocolates are the types of sugar that do not provide any nutrients and should be a limited part of your diet.

Drink Lots Of Water
The main component of our body is water. Our bodies need water to function properly. If you are trying to lose weight it is a good idea to replace sodas and juices with water. In one bottle of juice you can easily consume 200-300 calories and 16-20 grams of sugar. Water is your best bet because it has zero calories, no sugar, and is readily available (free even).

If you follow these weight loss tips you will notice that it becomes easier and easier to lose weight and keep it off!

Watch this interesting video to loose your weight fast @ Weight Losing tips

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudy_Wang

Coffee lowers risk of prostate cancer - Video Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Coffee lowers risk of prostate cancer - Video Forward

The Symptoms & Treatment Of Menopause

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:49:00 +0000

Commonly associated with the advancing of age, menopause is often referred to as 'the change of life.' During it's occurrence, the ovaries stop producing estrogen and the reproductive system begins to gradually shut down. As the body attempts to adjust to the changing levels of hormone during menopause, a variety of symptoms may occur. Among them, depression, anxiety, hot flashes, irritability, changes in moods, the inability to concentrate, etc. In addition to these symptoms, women may experience irregular menstrual periods during menopause.

The average age that a woman begins to see the onset of menopause is 50, but there are women who enter menopause earlier. A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure that is often performed in order to help women through the process. Once the cycle is complete, known as being post-menopausal, women will find that they are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

The treatment for menopause typically includes Hormone Replacement Therapy and is believed to reduce the weakening of bones often seen in osteoporosis. Through the years, there has been much debate as to whether this type of therapy is actually beneficial. Some women feel that menopause is a natural process as opposed to a disorder. For years, women have been urged to undergo hormone therapy while they are dealing with menopause. They were told to do so under the belief that it would reduce their risk of heart disease, but some experts believe that this type of therapy may actually increase the risk of other illnesses, including breast cancer, heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

Because each woman is unique, menopause may ultimately produce some or all of the aforementioned symptoms. Because these symptoms are also common with other illnesses, the only way to confirm menopause is by seeing a physician. Following a diagnosis, a doctor will be able to provide the best type of medication and/or treatment to help guide the woman through menopause and help her body to make up for the hormones that are no longer being produced as before. It is important that women carefully consider any medications that may increase depression or cause other severe symptoms during not only menopause, but any time in life. The fact that some medication is addictive is just one of the issues to remain concerned with anytime a doctor writes a prescription. In order to avoid these problems, women are urged to ask their physician about possible side effects associated with medication that is used to treat menopause.

The information in this article is to be used for informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice. Anyone with questions regarding menopause must consult their physician for further information.

I adapted this article for my readers that may need this valued information for better health living.

For more health related articles join readbud.com and read unlimited articles free of charge.

I appreciated the author of this informative article at readbud.com

Thank you

The Simple Plan For Automatic Weight Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Mon, 02 May 2011 11:12:00 +0000

What's the greatest threat facing our civilization? (No, it's not the Islamic jihad.) It's obesity. Due to its attendant health and economic costs, scientists predict that obesity alone will topple economic and social structures, induce a wide range of dire diseases, and drastically cut short Americans' life spans.

These are more than another set of statistics -- they predict things that can and will affect you, your family, your health, and your pocketbook. If you are among the two thirds of adult Americans struggling to escape escalating weight gain, (or even if you're teetering on the edge with ten persistent pounds you can't seem to lose), as a physician, I recommend that you take action to lose weight and protect your future health.

And I have good news for you. I've developed a simple plan to help you lose weight automatically based on a new scientific breakthrough.

Despite the abysmal failure of conventional medical approaches, this plan is different because it's based on recent, groundbreaking scientific research, research that I predict will totally revolutionize weight loss and change the landscape of medicine as we know it.

Many of the answers to our weight and health problems are buried in thousands of research papers. With the aid of a number of very brilliant thinkers and scientists, I've gathered and synthesized the greatest advances in medical science over the last 20 years -- advances that usually take decades to get incorporated into medical practice. Translated into a simple program that has brought easy, sustainable weight loss to thousands of people, you can access them today.

In the recent past, many pundits theorized that society-wide weight gain was due to our genes. In a sense, they were right, but genes only tell half the story. We share the same genes as our hunter- gatherer forebears who foraged in the woods and hunted wild game 20,000 years ago. What's changed is the environment within which our genes operate.

Up until modern times, man's natural environment supplied the foods we were genetically programmed to eat. But with the advent of industrialized agriculture and food production, we began eating mass-produced and processed foods that genetically program us to add pounds.

Here's how:

Food is information -- not just calories -- and food information speaks to our genes, turning some genes ON and other genes OFF. That's why it's genes, not calories, that count.

Until recently, scientists believed that the critical mechanism for weight loss was caloric intake and expenditure -- you eat little and exercise hard to lose each pound. But that's hard to do and harder to maintain, recent scientific studies reveal (and no doubt not surprising to anyone who has tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to lose weight).

Using the caloric mechanism for weight loss is a bit like manually cranking a lever to open your garage door inch-by-inch and then having to hold the door open. Wouldn't you rather push the button that activates the circuitry to open your garage door automatically?

To do that for weight loss, you have to access the master biological mechanisms controlling weight loss and weight gain. Using those mechanisms opens the door to automatic weight loss. The recent scientific discoveries I've assembled decode the instruction manual of our basic biology. At last, we can control the master mechanisms: our genes themselves.

The new genetic science (called Functional Medicine) teaches that our genes interact intimately with our environment. Every bite of food we eat, every thought we think, every stress we experience, or toxin we inhale carries a specific message to our genes, turning them on (or off), and telling them how to behave

As a result, our genes are programmed moment-by-moment to actively create either weight loss or weight gain. Scientists have tracked exactly how all the different foods trigger the messages sent to your genes. With that knowledge, you can give your body the foods that work in your favor -- and avoid ones that don't.

For instance, for decades, people were warned to avoid fats at all costs, but now we know that the type of fat you eat is more important than the amount of fat you eat. The new science traces the biological impact of good fats, like the omega-3 fatty acids (contained in fish, fish oils, certain nuts and many other foods) and bad fats like the trans-fats contained in many processed foods.

What researchers found is that good fats turn on your body's fat burning genes and bad fats turn off the fat burning genes. When you consume EPA or DHA, both omega-3 fatty acids, they access a metabolic gateway called the PPAR receptor, to activate genes that increase your metabolism, help you burn fat, and assist you in processing bodily glucose more effectively so that foods won't get stored as fat.

It's as if the EPA and DHA opens up an extra lane on your hormonal superhighway, making for a smooth and easy route towards slimness and health. That's why, for automatic weight loss, I recommend adding EPA and DHA (both found in fish oil) to your diet, beginning today. On the other hand, unhealthy transfats (such as found in many processed and fast foods) act as a metabolic roadblock to weight loss, and if you eat them, you may find yourself crawling along at a snail's pace, going nowhere.

These are just two of the hundreds of ways that you'll learn to awaken the fat-burning code hidden in your DNA. In my new book, UltraMetabolism, due out in March, 2006, you'll discover a wide range of foods that tell your genes to shed pounds, while learning to avoid the many other foods that tell your genes to pack on the pounds. Eating the foods right for your genes allows you to literally program your body to lose weight automatically, even as you sleep!

And that is the key: be simply learning to eat the foods that ignite your body's fat burning engines, and avoiding the foods that snuff out these engines, you finally begin the process of working WITH your body, instead of against it -- something that all fad diets fail to do, which is why they all fail in the long-run.

But, because UltraMetabolism teaches a simple plan to harness your body's own powerful fat burning forces -- ones that have evolved over millions of years -- you are actually programming your body to lose weight, automatically.

Why struggle and suffer with ineffective diets when you can actually teach your body to be slim and healthy? With the simple two-step plan I've developed, you can program your body to lose weight automatically. In the first step, you eliminate all of the bad foods that slow your metabolism, make you feel lethargic and lead to disease; in the second step, you add the good foods that crank up your metabolism, boost your energy and revitalize your health.

Twenty-first century weight loss is easier than you've ever dreamed. And it's something that I am confident about since I've treated over 2,000 patients, many of whom have experienced the very same automatic weight loss that I've described here.

My message to you is simple: If you want to fit into your jeans, you have to learn to fit into your genes!

I adapted it for most of my readers that may need to loss their weight for better health living.

For more weight loss article join readbud.com and read unlimited articles that will help you slim down with less stress.

I appreciated the author of this informative article Mark Hyman, M.D., at readbud.com , Thank you.

Cancer : Beware of Lung Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:44:00 +0000

The Lung
The principal function of the lungs is to exchange gases between the air we breathe and the blood. Through the lung, carbon dioxide is removed from the bloodstream and oxygen from inspired air enters the bloodstream. The right lung has three lobes, while the left lung is divided into two lobes and a small structure called the lingula that is the equivalent of the middle lobe on the right.

Cancer of the Lungs

Lung cancers can arise in any part of the lung, but 90%-95% of cancers of the lung are thought to arise from the epithelial cells, the cells lining the larger and smaller airways (bronchi and bronchioles); for this reason, lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic cancers or bronchogenic carcinomas. (Carcinoma is another term for cancer.) Cancers also can arise from the pleura or rarely from supporting tissues within the lungs, for example, the blood vessels.

More men and women are told they have cancer of the lungs each year than any other type of cancer. With the propensity of regular cigarette smokers to develop lung masses, around eighty percent of lung cancer patients are routine smokers. Around ten percent are non smokers who live in a house or working condition with other smokers, and the remaining ten percent tend to live in an area with low air quality, such as major cities or factories. In general, one in three patients can receive surgery that, alone, may be enough to survive. One third of patients require chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, or a combination of all three to have a chance of survival. The remaining third have had their cancer spread through lymph nodes, and have a much lesser chance.

For lung cancer patients, a majority need to be placed on pure oxygen in order to have enough lung efficiency to breath normally, while a selected few can go about their day to day lives without much difficulty. Likewise, cancer symptoms of decreased metabolic capacity and swollen lymph nodes may present in some cancer victims as others show little or no external signs of their condition.

Causes of lung cancer
Although there are numerous reasons for lung cancer, tobacco smoking is considered to be the primary cause of lung cancer. More than 87% of lung cancer sufferers confirm that the cause of lung cancer is tobacco smoking, and for the rest, the cause of lung cancer is an environmental exposure to tobacco smoke. The other causes of lung cancer include exposure to a cancer causing agent in the work place or a family or personal history of lung cancer.

Other types of lungs cancer
Mesothelioma is a less common type of cancer that can affect the covering of the lungs. It often occurs in people who have been exposed to asbestos. Secondary cancer in the lung describes the situation where cancer cells have spread to the lungs from a cancer that began elsewhere in the body.There are other rarer types of cancer which can occur in the lungs. These include:

   i. Carcinosarcoma;
   ii. Pulmonary blastoma;
   iii. Malignant melanoma; and
   iv. Malignant lymphoma

Treatment of Lung Cancer
The two main types are treated quite differently. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are usually used for small cell lung cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can all be used for non-small cell lung cancer.

For more information on lung caner see this video.

Olufemi

Prevention of cancer now

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:40:00 +0000

Most people feel that cancer is purely genetic, and this allows a person to consider it cannot be avoided, well that is not entirely true. Scientists and Researchers with Cancer Society, feel that Healthy behaviors could possibly prevent half of the cancer deaths that are prevalent in today's society. Highlighted below are some guides that will assist you in prevention of cancer:

1. Don't smoke

If you do smoke or use other types of tobacco products, try to quit, speak with your Doctor for any aid that will help you, there are many programmes now, just remember there has to be ONE that will finally work for you.

With both men and women, screening is extremely important for the most prevalent types of cancers including screening for colon, breast, prostate, cervix, skin and lung cancer. It is a known fact that finding cancer early will greatly increase your chance for a cure and reduce your risk from dying from any cancer diseases.

2. Reduce your Alcohol intake

Keep your alcohol intake to a minimum of no more than 2 drinks per day for men and one for women. This is another means of preventing cancer.

3. Eat more of fruit and Vegetables (video)

High fat is another problem because it is associated with obesity. Team this up with estrogen in women and research tells us that obese women produce more estrogen, which can fuel the development of cancers, especially breast cancer in women. Eating healthier Fruits and Vegetables is highly recommended.

4. Watch your Daily use of Cosmetics

Be knowledgeable about what your daily use of personal products contain, some chemical components have been deemed by Governments and Researchers to have carcinogenic infusions of chemicals that can mutate cells, and can cause an abundance of estrogen, which feeds certain cancers, especially in women’s bodies.

5. Protect your Skin

Always protect your skin when outdoors, use safe sunscreen. Sun Hats should be worn with wide brims and of course sunglasses that protect against dangerous sun rays.

6. Exercise your Body Regularly

Be a physically active person, not necessarily an athlete to get the benefits of exercise. They can be straight forward brisk walking, biking, dancing, swimming, aerobics or any type of exercise that raises your heart rate, with some sweating would be most beneficial.

7. Maintain an Appropriate Body Mass Index

Do your best to keep your weight to a normal range for your height, and keep your body mass to 25 or less. You can go on line to calculate the BMI rates. If possible try to stay 5 to 10 lbs of what you weighed at 20 years of age. Get medical help if necessary to accomplish this.

8. Listen to your Body

This comes more easily when you start to age, you seem to know when something isn't going right, then make the all important appointment with your Doctor, this is the best way to get all of the screening you may need to save your life.

Be knowledgeable, read and understand what you are reading, discuss any areas of concern with a Medical Professional, this is mandatory to ensure that YOU are taking all the correct steps to ensure you stay Healthy and Wise.

Read more on cancer in my last post.

Olufemi

Cancer | What you need to know

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:06:00 +0000

Cancer is a class disease characterized by out-of-control cell growth.There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.

Cancer is a life threatening killer disease. It is a long term disease and the chances of survival are very poor. But thanks to the advancement in the field of medicine, scientists have come up with rewarding solutions to cure or prolong the killer disease.

Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign.

More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things occur:

i. A cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using the blood or lymph systems, destroying healthy tissue in a process called invasion

ii. That cell manages to divide and grow, making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called angiogenesis.

When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

Mechanism of Cancer development (video)

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control.

For more valuable information leave you comments and questions below.

Olufemi

Cancer Fighting Super Food

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:02:00 +0000

If you want to reduce your risk of cancer, look no further than your fridge. Aim for at least five to nine daily servings of all kinds of fruits and vegetables especially these six:

1. BROCCOLI: All calciferous veggies contain cancer fighting properties, but broccoli is the only one with a size able amount of sulforaplane, a particular potent compounds that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals. It also targets cancer stem cells. Brocooli helps fight: breast, liver, lung, prostrate, skin, stomach and bladder cancers so add broccoli to whatever you can, from salads to omelets to the top of your pizza.

2. BERRIES: All berries are packed with cancer fighting phytonutrients.But black raspberries in particular contain very high concentrations of phytochemicals called anthocyanins which slow down the growth of premalignment cells and keep new blood vessels from forming. Berries help fight colon, esophaeal, oral and skin cancer. A half cup serving of berries a day may help your health.

3. TOMATOES: This is the best dietary source of lycopene, a caroteniod that gives tomatoes their red colour. Lycopene was found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth in a study in nutrition and cancer. Endometrial cancer causes nearly 8000 deaths a year in the United States.

Tomatoes help fight endometrial, lung, prostrate and stomach cancers. The biggest benefits care from cooked tomatoes, since the heating process increases the amount of lycopene your body is able to absorb.

4. WALNUTS: Their cholesterol-like molecule found in plant have been shown to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly slowing the cells growth. Walnuts fight breast and prostrate cancer. An ounce of walnuts a day may yield the best benefits.

5.GARLIC: Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to halt the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach and intestines when you consume nitrates, a common food preservative. Garlic helps to fight breast, colon, esophageal and stomach cancers. Sprinkle crushed garlic into rich tomato sauce while it simmers.

6. BEANS: Black beans significantly reduces colon cancer. Dried beans is particularly effective in preventing breast cancer. Beans help fight breast and colon cancers. Add beans to your usual rotation of greens and veggies a few times a week; either can, dry soaked or cooked beans.

For more valuable health information and tips, click here.

Olufemi

Tips on Dental Care

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:16:00 +0000

Taking easy steps to create a healthy set of teeth is a deliberate habit you must maintain, if you want to keep dental problem at bay. Gum disease happens to be one of the commonest diseases in the world and if untreated can lead to the loss of all the teeth over time.

By now you should know the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day with toothpaste which contains fluoride but some people still skip this and then push it forward till another day such practice is inimical to good oral health.

Gum disease is primarily caused by dental plaque and calculus with usually results from poor oral hygiene. Dental plaque can be easily removed through regular brushing and flossing.

Remember it takes only 21 days to form a habit. Once you brush twice for 21 days it is likely to form par of you. Don't stop there, clean your teeth at least for two minutes.

Prevent gum disease by flossing between your teeth.This is where food get stuck. Flossing helps to remove food traps in between your teeth better than using toothpicks.

Avoid the use of hard bristled tooth brushes unless recommended by your dentist. Dispose your brush after three months. And if you have any problem while brushing always use soft toothbrushes.

A healthy gum is pink in colour and firm in texture. When you notice redness and swollen gum, it is an indication of a diseased or inflamed gum,report to your dentist for proper evaluation.

Finally, it good for you to note that we need our teeth to be strong and healthy for them to be fully functional.

For more details on health matters, click here.

Olufemi

Importance of Physical Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 23:46:00 +0000

It is more annoying today as many people have shunned physical exercise. It is good to know at this juncture that exercise is another way of strengthening human body as well as elongate life span. It is pertinent for people to see reasons as to what physical exercise is all about and how it is useful to ones health.

However, the decline in recent years were mostly traced to the stalled in undergoing physical exercise.Many societies of Physiotherapy in various nations of the world do encourage her citizens to engage in exercise.

This is because exercise can improve young and old living conditions. It also reduces blood pressure, osteoarthritis, depression and anxiety among others.

It is also good we know that physical exercise will give more flexibility and normal health condition if it is carried out constantly.

For more valuable health information and hygiene tips, check here.

Olufemi

Blackcurrant Juice can prevent aches and pains

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 23:24:00 +0000

New Discovery by scientists has revealed that drinking blackcurrant will effect some changes in the body system especially by preventing aches, strains during exercise.

Several medical practitioners in various research had also corroborated this facts by itemizing the importance of the juice and how helpful it is to the body system.

One Dr. Roger Hurst at the New Zealand Institute for plant and food researches monitored the impact of blackcurrant extract on ten(10) untrained volunteers. Blackcurrant when taken will coordinate and oxidative stress especially when is taken to control piles.

Conclusively, it is believed that blackcurrant is will work effectively and it is advisable that you at least take it on daily basis especially if you are involved in any sporting activities.

For more valuable Health information and tips, Check here

Olufemi

Prevention and Control of Female Infertility

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:02:00 +0000

Infertility in a woman goes beyond what mouth can express; sometime will lead to serious emotional and psychological problems that can also lead to other disease of the body. The following highlighted tips will help in prevention and controlling of this malfunctioning of the reproductive system:

i. Women should be very observant in order for them to detect early irregularities in their menstrual period and some other irregularities mention in my earlier post on female infertility;

ii. Indiscriminate use of contraceptives and abortifacients should be avoided;

iii. Fatty food should be avoided because it will develop around the reproductive organ and sex glands;

iv. Examine the nature of your food intake;

v. Simple exercise that will aid effective circulation of blood should be encouraged.

Finally the use of herbs of natural formation will go a long way to help in finding solution to female reproductive problems and even other ailments.

To read the main female infertility, check here.

Olufemi

Female Infertility

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:48:00 +0000

What is fertility in a female ?

It is a process by which reproduction takes place in the female thus making her to conceive and putting to birth. Pregnancy become the utmost issue in these process. In ability to experience these process occuring to lady or a woman could be traced to some tests with the following explanation of what such tests implies:

ENDOMETRIOSIS

The observation from this test imples that linning from uterus is found outside the uterus. This mainly affect women in their 30s to 40s and thus causing problems for them to conceive. The main cause of infertility from endometriosis seems to be scarring and adhesion that result in blockage. This however prevent eggs from being fertilized or either plant egg transfer from the fallopian tubes as such often result in ectopic pregnancy. Meaning the fertilized egg transplant itself somewhere other than the uterine linning.

Endometriosis can be treated with surgery. It is good to note that when you are experiencing pains while you are having sex or have very painful menstrual cramps or heavy bleeding during your period or un-usual spotting it could be endometriosis. Also, it should be noted that about 30 percent of women with endometriosis will never show symptoms except for fertility problems.

POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS)

It is quite sadden that PCOS is the main cause of infertility among women yet severely under diagnosed (less than 25% of women who suffer from the syndrome have been diagnosed). This could also be detected not only through search for pregnacy but circumstances shows from the nature of the body at such period. This include

i. Weight gain;

ii. acne;

iii. Irregular or absent periods;

iv. infertility; and

v. Failure to ovulate.

However, this can be diagnosed through a series of blood tests, manage through the use of hormones that will trigger ovulation thus helping the woman getting pregnant.

Ovulation disorder is another crucial issue here where statistics given about 40% of female infertility problems are caused by it, this include irregular period, or failing to ovualte at all. This is cause by disordeliness which could be attributed to excessive weight loss, stress, thyroid problems or hormone in-balances.

Premature ovulation failure (POF) look more upsetting because you are diagnosed as no more menstrating even though you are still under age of 40. POF is often traced to defect from birth like chromosonal abnormality that results in defective ovaries to your ovaries becoming resistance to your body's natural hormones when you are in 20s and 30s. Pelvic surgery, chemotherapy and radiation have also been known to result in POF while understanding these you experience failure in your ovulation, seizures of menstrual period for months, sudden appearance of such menstrual period etc.

The treatment for such is often difficult but it is advised you try hormone pills in order to promote ovulation but this often not successful. Another option is In vitro fertilization (IVF) with a donor egg that is fertilized by your partner's sperm.

In vitro fertilization, a laboratory procedure in which sperm are placed with an unfertilized egg in a Petri dish to achieve fertilization. The embryo is then transferred into the uterus to begin a pregnancy or cryopreserved (frozen) for future use. IVF was originally devised to permit women with damaged or absent fallopian tubes to have a baby. Normally a mature egg is released from the ovary (ovulated), then enters the Fallopian tube, and waits in the neck of the tube for a sperm to fertilize it. With defective Fallopian tubes, this is not possible. The first IVF baby, Louise Joy Brown, was born in England in 1978.

In Vitro fertilization literally means "fertilization in glass." A child born by in vitro fertilization is inaccurately known a "test tube baby."

For more information on the prevention and control of female infertility click here.

Olufemi

The Best Oil for your Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:44:00 +0000

Knowing fully well that cooking as paramount to human existence cannot be overemphasized because quite every human beings knows the importance of food especially to the body system.

Based on the knowledge we have about he various class of foods and how they functioned, fat & Oil also formed one of these classes which will help our focus on oil best for cooking. Therefore we shall discuss the following oils and how they remain best for our cooking:

1. CANOLA Oil: Nutritionists often asked people to stay away from canola oil if possible. This is due to Vitamin E content resulting to heart disease as well as rancid measure in context. It is therefore advisable for you to use canola for baking sauteing;

2. GRAPE SEED Oil: It is quite good for various cooking purpose. This is because it reduces cholesterol and is good for cooking, sauteing and frying;

3. PEANUT Oil: This is not well recommended becuase of the content of mono unsaturated fatty acids but it is good for frying in a little content. It is also Vitamin E rich oil that adds flavours to food especially in meat and chicken. It is recommended that you keep it in fridge.

4. SOYA BEAN Oil: It is good in margarine, salad dressings and it is good for hastening food digestion.

5. WALNUT Oil: Research revealed that this oil can reduce risk of coronary heart disease. It is good for salad finish or finish off a fish dish.

Keep a tap on this blog for more educative articles.

Olufemi

Human infection with avian influenza virus

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:06:00 +0000

Usually, avian influenza refers to influenza A (H5N1) viruses found chiefly in birds, but the infections with these viruses can occur in humans. The risk from avian influenza is generally low to most people because the viruses do not usually infect humans. However, confirmed cases of human infection from several subtypes of avian influenza infection have been reported since 1997. Most of which was as a result of having contact with infected poultry or surfaces contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds. Symptoms of avian influenza in human have ranged from typical human influenza-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases and other severe and life threatening complications.

Since 2003, a growing number of human H5N1 cases are reported in some countries such as Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam and Nigeria lately. More than half of the people infected with H5N1 virus have died; most of which all believed to have been caused by exposure to infected poultry. Expert worldwide are concerned at how quickly the H5N1 bird flu virus strain can spread and become firmly establish in poultry. So far, World Health Organization (WHO) update revealed that over One hundred and fifty (150) million birds have died over the last two (2) years while one hundred and sixty-five (165) humans have died as at 3 rd February, 2007 out of a total of about two hundred and sixty-four (264) infected since 2003.

To read more about valuable health articles, click here

Olufemi

An Overview of Avian Influenza in Nigeria

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Introduction
Avian influenza virus started affecting domestic and wild birds and humans in South-East Asia in mid-2003 and has now spread to Africa and Europe. It is the largest and most severe outbreaks on record. Previously, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry and wild bird were rare but since December 2003, some forty- five (45) countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Middle East have reported outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza in poultry and or birds.

This highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus has developed into a concern for human health in two major areas. First, the virus has caused very severe disease in people since December 1997, with more than two hundred (200) human cases and a fifty-five percent (55%) mortality rate. The second, and a far greater concern for human health is the risk that the virus if given enough opportunity; will develop the characteristics needed to start an influenza pandemic.

The recent confirmation of the death of a twenty-two (22) year old woman in Lagos through the contraction of the avian influenza virus, commonly called “bird flu” signifies the presence of serious threat to human health and this cause for concern in Nigeria. The epidemic was first reported in Sambawa Farms in the Northern state of Kaduna in February 2006 and since then, several of such cases had also been reported in at least Seventeen (17) states, which include Anambra, Bauchi, Borno, Edo, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Federal Government took drastic measures to reduce or even eliminate the further spread of this scourge by ordering killing of all chickens in infected farms and a compensation of two-hundred and fifty Naira (N250) per bird was paid to the concerned farmers.
In view of this development, many Nigerians had lost their main source of livelihood as chicken posed threat to consumers and most people decided to remove it from their food menu. The fear of the bottlenecks experienced by poultry farmers that reported the symptoms of the flu in their farm and collection of their compensation for all the killed birds makes other farmers to be quiet about reporting the disease to relevant authority; thereby increase the spread of this flu in the country. This is evident by the resurgence of the outbreak in some states such as Edo, Kwara and Sokoto in January 2007 coupled with claiming of first human life on 17th January, 2007 in Lagos by this same H5N1 strain of avian flu.

Definition of Terms
The following are terms that are used frequently in this discussion that might not be so common to those that are not scientifically biased:
i. Avian Influenza (“avian flu” or “bird flu”): - This is flu from viruses adapted from birds, but is sometimes mistakenly used to refer to either other flu subsets (such as H5N1 flu) or the viruses that caused them.
ii. Flu: - This is culled from the word influenza, which is an infectious disease like a very bad cold that causes fever, pains and weakness.
iii. H5N1: - This is a subtype of the influenza A virus that can cause illness in humans and many other animal species.
iv. H5: - Stands for fifth of several known types of the protein hemagglutinin.
v. N1: - Stands for the first of several known types of protein neuraminidase.
vi. Pandemic: - This term means disease that spreads easily from person-to-person, causing serious illness over a whole country or the whole world in a short time.
vii. Epidemic: - Is a large number of cases of a particular disease happening at the same time in a particular community.
viii. Mutation: - This genetic term means the evolution of one organism from one form to another. This is more common in microorganisms that cause diseases; trying to build resistance to their cure.

Appraisal On The Outbreak Of Avian Influenza Virus In Nigeria
Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These influenza viruses occur naturally among birds, wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines but usually do not get sick for them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks and turkeys very sick and kill them. Domesticated birds may be infected with avian flu virus through direct contact with infected water foul or other infected poultry or through contact with surface such as dirt or cages or materials such as water or feed that have been contaminated with virus.

Team of professionals have found evidence that migrating birds introduced the virus into Nigeria at least in three separate times, possibly. Believing that the country is at this risk because it has many bird sanctuaries along two flights paths that connect with other infected parts of the world.

Conclusion

The impact of avian flu virus in Nigeria since its outbreak cannot be over emphasized as it has affected the country in various ways such that health capacity, human and financial resources are overstressed due to demands of the disease coupled with the laboratory confirmation of human H5N1 infection is technically challenging, expensive and highly demanding on human resources. To eliminate this deadly disease and total prevention of likely human pandemic, the federal government of Nigeria should channelled the credit of fifty million dollars ($50m) given to her by the World Bank towards fighting against the further spread of avian influenza virus without any compromise.

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Olufemi

Avian Flu : The Nigerian Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 22:54:00 +0000

Since the first reported case of bird flu in Nigeria in year 2006, the scourge had unleashed untold economic hardship on poultry farmers especially those in the infected states as poultry farming is second only to oil production in Nigeria. Initially, the compensation announced by the government for affected farmers has now appeared to get bogged down in red tape, as some farmers were never paid. The fear of loosing their birds that will never be paid for discouraged them from reporting the outbreak thereby contributing to the spread of this epidemic.

Apart from farmers millions of Nigerians keep poultry in their backyards, making human-to-bird contact more common and surveillance more difficult as majority live below the poverty line and cannot afford luxury of rejecting sick or dead birds. It will be necessary to note that this virus spread to virtually all parts of an infected birds including blood, meat and bones. The viruses survive in contaminated raw poultry meat and therefore can be spread through the marketing and distribution of contaminated food products, such as fresh or frozen chickens (meat).

This is because the viability of the avian influenza virus is maintained at low temperatures, which can survive in faeces for at least thirty-five (35) days at 4oC and at least six (6) days at 37oC. H5N1 avian influenza virus has also been shown to survive on surfaces for several weeks at ambient temperatures. The trend has raised concern among professionals that Africa’s most populous nation is at risk of becoming a permanent host to this virus. With these indicators it is glaring that this virus poses a serious threat to human health and urgent attention is required by all and sundry in containing its further spread.

Impact Of Avian Flu On The Immediate Environment

The effect of bird flu in the country is felt by almost every Nigerian as more than four hundred and fifty thousand (450,000) infected chickens have been killed since it was first reported in February, 2006 and the federal government has lost fifty five million eight hundred and ninety-one thousand, seven hundred and twenty Naira(N55,891,720.00) to compensation. There is a kind of unavoidably phobia for consumption of poultry products by citizens causing poultry sales and prices to fall in the affected areas and beyond such as Lagos where there was confirmation of a 22-year old female death caused by this H5N1 avian flu virus. The following are the highlights of the impact of this outbreak on affected areas of the country: (i) Unemployment: - Many Nigerians working in these affected poultry farms all over the country lost their jobs following the culling and killing of the infected birds from their various farms.

(ii) Increase in Crime rate: - Idle mind they say is devil’s workshop, the rate of crime will definitely increase as the laid off employees of the avian flu infected farms may want to find a means of livelihood either legal or illegal. This constitutes increase in various unpopular acts such theft, armed robbery, smuggling, vandalization of pipelines even political thugs to mention a few.

(iii) Scarcity of Poultry Products: - Most Organisation that rely on poultry products for their operationability such as eateries, restaurants and others will be out of stock as all the required chickens needed to meet their demand have been killed due to the outbreak of avian flu in the area. This further reduces their sales and may also result in laying off some of their staff in order to remain in business.

(iv) Health Hazard: - Employees, owners and the immediate neighbours of infected farms or backyard poultries are also exposed to the danger of contacting bird flu, since all those reported to have died of the virus have one way or the other have contact with infected poultry. For instance, it was reported that labourers at Adiya Farms about 16 kilometres away from Sokoto metropolis where the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza was detected in January, 2007 were ignorantly not wearing any protective masks to dug a pit to bury the twenty-one thousand (21,000) infected chickens. This is against expert recommendation of a specially made mask to be worn by anybody that will have contact with any infected birds.

(v) Food Insecurity: - One of the Millennium Development Goals is food security but the outbreak of avian flu in Nigeria is a great threat to both local and global food security. Infected poultry products are nothing but food for the maggots rather than contributing to availability of save food for human consumption.

To read about the way out click on this article:

Recommendation on How to combat Avian Influenza

Olufemi

What is a pandemic?

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 22:49:00 +0000

A pandemic is a global disease out break. A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine. The disease spreads easily from person-to person causing illness across the globe in a very short time. It will be difficult to predict when the next flu pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, wherever and whenever a pandemic starts, everyone around the world will be at risk. Health professionals are concerned that the continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian H5N1 virus across various countries of the world in which Nigeria is one, poses threat to human health.

Already, avian flu experts have tipped Nigeria as one of three countries that are weak areas in the global attempt to stem the spread of the virus. Do we allow the pandemic to start in Nigeria? No, then avian flu outbreak must be addressed immediately to avert a potential human pandemic that could lead high levels of illness, death, social disruption and more economic loss.

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Olufemi

Writing can reduce stress of cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Olufemi) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 09:27:00 +0000

Encouraging cancer patients to write down their deepest fears about the disease may improve their quality of life, a United States study has revealed.

A writing clinician, Nancy Morgan, approached patients waiting in a clinic at a cancer centre in Washington DC.

According to the BBC, half of those who took part said the exercise changed the way they thought about the illness, according to the journal, The Oncologist. Younger people, and those recently diagnosed, were most likely to benefit. Thoughts and feelings, or the cognitive processing and emotions related to cancer, are key writing elements associated with health benefits.

Morgan developed her role as part of the Arts and Humanities Programme at the Lombardi Centre. Her “expressive writing” exercise, lasting just 20 minutes, posed questions to leukaemia or lymphoma patients about how the cancer had changed them and how they felt about those changes.

When those taking part were contacted again a few weeks later, 49 per cent said that the writing had changed their thoughts about their illness, while 38 per cent said their feelings towards their situation had changed. While there was no evidence of direct impact of the session on their illness, where the patients had reported greater changes in their mindset during the writing, this could be linked to more positive reports of quality of life given to their doctors during follow-up appointments.

Ms Morgan said, “Thoughts and feelings, or the cognitive processing and emotions related to cancer, are key writing elements associated with health benefits, according to previous studies.

Dr. Bruce Cheson, the head of haematology at Lombardi, said: “I’m pleased to see that so many of our patients were interested in this kind of therapy. “Our study supports the benefit of an expressive writing program and the ability to integrate such a programme into a busy clinic.”

Be a helper to a cancer diagnosed patient today by encouraging him or her to be writing their feelings about the deadly disease and the outcome of these researches will be their lots.

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Olufemi